Chapter 5 - Terms of Surrender

The contract lay open on the sleek glass table like a trap disguised as salvation. I sat across from Luca, my hands clasped tightly in my lap while his lawyer flipped through the pages with the calm efficiency of someone used to life-altering decisions. "Clause fourteen," the lawyer said. "Living arrangements." I swallowed hard. "You will reside in Mr. Moretti's penthouse for the duration of the marriage. Leaving without authorization violates the agreement." Authorization. Like I needed permission to breathe. I glanced at Luca, but his expression didn't change. He sat relaxed in his chair, elbows resting lightly on the armrests, watching me with a calm, unreadable intensity. "Next," Luca said. The lawyer continued flipping. "Clause nineteen: Public appearances. You and Mr. Moretti must attend all scheduled events together. Sixteen in total." Sixteen. Sixteen nights pretending to be the wife of a man I barely knew. "And clause twenty-four," the lawyer added, "no romantic involvement with anyone else. On either side." Heat crawled up my neck. The words sounded clinical, but the implication wasn't. I felt Luca's gaze sharpen slightly, just enough to make my breath hitch. "And clause thirty-seven," the lawyer continued, "in the event that Miss Hayes breaches the contract, she owes Mr. Moretti five million dollars." My stomach dropped. Five. Million. I looked up sharply. "That's… that's insane. I don't have—" "You won't break the contract." Luca's voice was soft but absolute. "And if you break it?" I whispered, unable to stop myself. The lawyer flipped the page. "If Mr. Moretti fails to uphold his part, Miss Hayes receives full control of the medical trust fund. Permanently." My heart lurched. Medical trust fund. For my mother. I turned to Luca, stunned. "You'd give me that?" His jaw tightened. "If I fail you, then yes." That wasn't business. That wasn't calculation. That felt like something far more… human. The lawyer closed the folder. "You may take the contract home and review it—" "No," Luca interrupted quietly. His eyes never left mine. "She doesn't have time. And neither do I." My pulse fluttered. The room felt suddenly too still. The lawyer excused himself, leaving us alone. Silence stretched between us, heavy and fragile. "You think I'm making a mistake," I whispered. "No," Luca said. "I think you're making a sacrifice." He stood and walked around the table. I tensed as he approached, stopping only when he was close enough that his cologne brushed my skin like a whisper. "You're not doing this for me," he said quietly. "You're doing it for her." My eyes stung. "And what are you doing it for?" I asked, voice barely a breath. A muscle in his jaw ticked. "For control," he said. "But also… for peace." Peace. The word didn't match the man. "You really need a wife that badly?" I tried to joke, but my voice cracked. "I need stability," he corrected. "And frankly…" His gaze dropped to my lips—just for a second. Barely noticeable. But enough. "…you're the first person in years who doesn't feel like a performance." My breath caught. This felt too close. Too intimate. Too dangerous. "Luca…" I whispered, unsure what I was warning him, or myself, about. He didn't touch me. He didn't come closer. He didn't need to. "Sign it, Amelia," he said softly. "And I'll make sure you never regret it." My fingers trembled as I picked up the pen. My future. My freedom. My heart. I hesitated for one last breath. Then I signed. The sound of the pen scratching across paper was terrifyingly final. When I lifted my hand, Luca reached forward and turned the contract toward himself. His eyes skimmed it, and something subtle, almost like relief, passed through him. "It's done," he said. But instead of triumph, his voice held something else. Something quieter. Something I couldn't name. Before I could speak, his phone buzzed. He picked it up. Listened. His expression darkened instantly. "Who leaked it?" he said sharply. Pause. "I want a name. Now." My stomach tightened. He ended the call, turned to me, face carved from ice. "We have a problem," he said. "What kind of problem?" His eyes locked onto mine. "Someone knows about the contract," he said. "And they're already trying to destroy it." My blood ran cold. "Who?" I whispered. Luca's jaw clenched. "Someone who shouldn't even know your name."